Near field communication (NFC) is a type of non-contact identification and communication technology, which may be used for short distance wireless communication between devices, such as mobile devices, consumer electronics, personal computers, and intelligent controller tools. NFC provides a simple and touch-controlled solution for information exchange, to allow users to exchange information, access data, and use online services.
NFC is a kind of wireless communication technology, which uses an antenna to support relevant communication functions. Since an NFC operating frequency is 13.56 MHz, NFC operates with an electromagnetic wavelength of about 22 meters, and NFC operates within a short distance (e.g., 3-5 mm) for reading and writing information, the NFC antennae is typically made of a coil antenna. Also, because users of electronic devices are sometimes concerned with the external appearance of the devices, the NFC antenna is typically within the device. For example, an NFC antenna in a mobile phone can be attached to a battery cover or a battery, and connected to an NFC radio frequency (RE) link via an NFC antenna contact points. Also, an NFC antenna may produce an eddy current on a metal surface when it is proximate to metal, and a magnetic field associated with the eddy current may weaken the magnetic field of the NFC antenna. This can affect the performance of the antenna. To improve performance, a layer of magnetic material can be attached below the NFC antenna, such that the magnetic field associated with the NFC antenna on the battery side may be gathered at an area of the magnetic material and not reach surfaces of components in the electronic device, such as a battery of the device (which contain metal). Yet, this technique may reduce the eddy current to be produced on a neighboring metal surface, which can weaken the magnetic field produced by the coil itself.
Also with electronic devices (especially mobile devices), space for components is becoming smaller and the amount of functions provided by the devices are becoming greater. For example, many mobile phones currently also include digital cameras besides providing NFC. Thus, there are a set of technical problems yet to be solved regarding such devices.